Voters head to the polls in closely-watched Pennsylvania and North Carolina races

The polls are open in a series of closely watched primaries across the country.

Voters are casting their ballots Tuesday in several states, perhaps most notably in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. In the former state, the seat of retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R) is up for grabs this year, with TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz running on the Republican side against David McCormick, a hedge fund manager, and Kathy Barnette, a conservative commentator. Recent polls have had Oz, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, with a very slight lead, according to RealClearPolitics, but The New York Times writes the close race will "test the power of the Trump endorsement."

On the Democratic side, the frontrunner in the Senate primary is Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, who recently suffered a stroke. Pundits are also keeping a close eye on Pennsylvania's gubernatorial primaries, where far-right candidate Doug Mastriano has led polls on the Republican side. The Democratic candidate, Josh Shapiro, is running unopposed.

Meanwhile, Republican candidates for Senate in North Carolina include former Gov. Pat McCrory and Rep. Ted Budd, the latter of whom was endorsed by Trump, while Cheri Beasley, a former chief justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court, is the Democratic frontrunner. Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) is also seeking his party's nomination again after controversy over his claims of orgies and cocaine use in Washington.

Polls close in Pennsylvania at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and in North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

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